


Patch of Sunlight

by phandomoftheowl



Category: Mahabharata - Vyasa, Star Plus Mahabharat, महाभारत | Mahabharat (TV 2013)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, tangled
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-04
Updated: 2014-04-04
Packaged: 2018-01-18 02:58:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1412443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phandomoftheowl/pseuds/phandomoftheowl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Draupadi finds a little patch of sunlight in a dark cave.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>Tangled!AU where Draupadi is the dashing thief who stole the Lost Prince's crown and stumbled into sunlight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Patch of Sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> Basically plucked the plot pretty much scene for scene from Tangled.

This was bad. This was very, very bad. Of all the ways Yajnaseni had thought she would die, drowning in a cave with a boy she had met just earlier that day was not one of them. Yajnaseni took deep breaths, struggling to hold onto the sharp rocks even as the water rose around them. Next to her, Karna looked on the verge of panic. Completely justified panic, seeing how it was his first day out in the real world. 

Later, if someone asked her why she said what she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to give a clear answer. “Draupadi,” she said abruptly, glancing at Karna out of the corner of her eyes. 

It did the trick. Karna stopped looking at the water with trepidation and started at her, confused. “What?”

“My real name, it’s Draupadi,” she said, voice sounding too loud in the darkened cave. “I’ve never told anyone. It -- it’s not really that impressive a name.” Not like Yajnaseni, a character from her favorite adventure book. The water was up to their necks now. Few more seconds and they would choke to death. 

“Oh. I have magical shield that appears when I sing.”

“That’s nice -- wait _what_.” Yajnaseni twisted to get a proper look at the boy. It was too dark to make out much, but it was enough. 

Karna’s eyes widened as if he had just realized something very important. “I have magical shield that appears when I sing,” he said again and promptly shut his eyes, nose scrunched in concentration as he began to chant in an unfamiliar tongue. His voice was melodic and rough, like a siren’s call. 

Yajnaseni’s confusion rose when a faint golden glow began to emanate from the center of his chest, spreading outward until sure enough, he was wearing a shield that shone brightly in the dank cave. 

“Oh.” Yajnaseni felt faint, but she nevertheless followed Karna when he dove into the rising water. There, in a corner of the cave, they found a small opening. With the help of Yajnaseni’s dagger, they loosened the rocks until more fell away by themselves, creating a big enough opening for them to wriggle through. 

They collapsed onto the bank of the river, exhausted and thankfully in one piece. Well, somewhat in one piece, Yajnaseni mused as she stared at her bleeding hand. She must have hurt herself dislodging the rocks. 

“You’re hurt,” Karna said between deep gulps of air. 

“And you have a magical shiny shield that just appears out of nowhere.” Yeah, she wasn’t going to get over that one any time soon. The shield was gone now, leaving him just as barechested as he had been in the tower where she found him. She had asked why he didn’t put on a shirt as they were leaving the tower, and he had shrugged, mumbled something about not having any. Now she supposed she knew why. 

“Give it here,” Karna said, taking her hand and placing it on his smooth chest.

“Um.” Yajnaseni didn’t know where to look, so she just looked her fill of the well sculpted chest, feeling a little like a pervert. 

_Seventeen_ , she reminded herself. _The kid is only seventeen._

 _Only until midnight,_ , her traitorous mind whispered to her. 

Karna was chanting again; the shield spread out beneath her bleeding palm. Astonishingly, none of the blood got on the shield. It was warm to the touch, like touching a patch of sunlight on a window. The dull aching in her hand subsided, when she pulled away, the cut was gone, leaving not even a scar.

“That’s...convenient,” she said, rubbing her thumb against where the wound had been not even a moment ago. “When -- when did your chest start...um, doing that?” she asked, trying for casual and missing by a wide margin. 

Karna glanced away, crossing his arms across his chest defensively. “For as long as I can remember. My uncle said that’s why they -- they killed my family. My parents and brothers. They wanted my shield for their own. My uncle got me out before they could find me and took me to the tower so no one would find me.” 

Yajnaseni said nothing. She didn’t remember her own parents either, having grown up in an orphanage, but it wasn’t as if she cared. If they didn’t want her, that was their loss. So she said, “Right. It glows; it heals. What else does it do?”

He shrugged again, still not looking at her. “As far as I know, that’s all it does.” 

“Okay. Let’s make camp here for the night,” she suggested. “We’ll head out to the capitol at first light.”

Nodding jerkily, Karna went off into the thicket of trees, returning several minutes later with firewood and a small pile of fruits for dinner. 

They ate in silence, neither looking at the other too long. Even so, Yajnaseni caught her gaze lingering on him across the fire. He looked pensive, much older than seventeen, and far too beautiful for a boy who had never left his small tower. He looked like a faeling, something rare and magical, like he might vanish if she reached out to touch him. Yajnaseni scooted back against the log, away from Karna. Best to avoid temptation. She dozed off just as the fire was dying. 

Yajnaseni woke to bright sunlight and the infernal horse snorting down at her menacingly. How a horse could look menacing was beyond her, but there it was, less than three inches from her face, _drooling_ on her. 

“You have some nerve, coming here after me,” she told it, as if it could understand her. Well, it probably could, judging by the way it neighed and latched onto the hem of her pants and dragged her across the grass. Yajnaseni kicked at it, yelling, “Put me down you overgrown dog. Let -- go. Umpf.”

Karna startled awake and ran after them. Yajnaseni threw out her arms, and latched onto Karna’s tightly. He pulled at her, but the horse must’ve had jaws of steel because it didn’t intend on letting go any time soon. 

“Let...her...go,” Karna grunted, tugging harder. There was a loud tearing sound and Yajnaseni went flying, taking Karna with her. She looked down to find her pant was torn from the knee down. 

Well, at least she wasn’t wearing her favorite pair. 

Karna jumped up between them before the beast could come closer, calming the horse down with just a few short words. It nuzzled against Karna and Yajnaseni felt a flash of possessiveness which she tamped down almost immediately. Honestly, being jealous of a _horse_ of all things. 

“There’s a good boy,” Karna muttered, petting its nose. “Just a good boy, aren’t you. You aren’t going to hurt the mean lady.”

“Hey!” Yanjaseni cried out indignantly, but both Karna and the horse ignored her.That was just fine by her. She got up and stalked into the the woods to perform her morning ablutions, leaving Karna to whisper sweet nothings to the wretched creature. 

By the time she returned, Karna was on the horse’s back, smiling serenely down at her. “Ashwa’s agreed to take us to the capitol,” he told her, one arm caressing the mane. 

“You _named_ the horse?” she asked incredulously, gathering her dagger and the scarf she had used as a pillow. “You know you can’t keep it right?”

Karna rolled his eyes, pointing at the horse’s neck. “He has a collar with his name on it.”

“Of course.” Yajnaseni bent down and cut off a portion of her other pant leg, so her trousers were now shorts cut off at the knee. Not her best work, but it would have to do. She refused to walk into the capitol looking like a homeless person. (Nevermind that she was, in fact, homeless.) 

“Do you even know how to ride a horse?” she asked skeptically, eyeing Ashwa warily as it glared at her. 

“Nope.” Karna grinned, bright and childlike. Oh, Draupadi was definitely in trouble. She told her heart to stopping swooping down to her stomach. Hearts did not belong near stomachs. She accepted Karna’s assistance and climbed onto Ashwa’s back. “He won’t let me fall.” 

Yajnaseni said nothing, mostly because she was wondering where the hell she should put her hands once she was seated behind Karna. There was just so much skin everywhere, it was distressing. As soon as she cashed in the crown, she was buying him some shirts, she decided. Finally, she settled on placing one hand on his shoulder and the other in her lap, even though the position was a bit awkward. 

Karna clicked his tongue and the horse jolted forward, making Draupadi brace herself against Karna by wrapping both arms around around his waist. 

Shit. 

It would be too obvious if she moved them now, so she let them be. He was warm, she noted, ignoring the way her skin tingled where they touched. Much too warm for a normal human being, she hadn’t noticed yesterday because of the magical shield and everything.

*****

By the time they reached the city gates, it was late afternoon and people were milling about, buying lanterns and flags and other trinkets. Pretty standard affair for the capitol on the day of the missing prince’s birthday. Draupadi had seen it a hundred times over.

Karna, on the other hand, had a wide-eyed look of wonder. He was practically vibrating with excitement, so Draupadi let him drag her from one stall to another, answering his questions. She even bought Ashwa apples with real money and everything. And if she’d done it only to see that look of pride on Karna’s face, no one need know. 

Sometimes, when he thought she wasn’t looking, Draupadi would catch the unsettling, contemplative expression on Karna’s face as he observed her. Even on the ride here, he had kept looking back at her, as if wanting to say something. She hadn’t asked what was bothering him, but her fingers itched to reach out and smooth the frown in his brow and find out what had him so upset. 

Draupadi slipped away when Karna was busy demonstrating the correct way to string a bow to the children in the courtyard, instructing Ashwa to look after him. The horse only whickered at her, which she took as an affirmation and went to make arrangements. 

It didn’t take long to rent a boat and buy two lanterns for Karna and herself. She had some money left over from the last con, and it felt good to use the money for this. Felt right. This was his first birthday out of the tower and she wanted him to enjoy it to the fullest. Who knew when she would see him again after today? 

Probably never. 

Those were thoughts she didn’t want to linger on right now, so she pushed them away. The sun was setting when she got back to the courtyard where she had left Karna and Ashwa. She found Karna sitting off to the side on a bench, surrounded by a gaggle of little girls and boys. Draupadi crept closer to see what was happening. 

They were braiding his hair, decorating it with small flowers. Before she could stop herself, she let out a loud laugh. Karna whipped around and stood up, flushing bright red when he saw her. The setting sun haloed behind him, Draupadi struggled to breathe evenly.

“I didn’t -- they just…” Karna trailed off with a miserable expression, not meeting Draupadi’s eyes. He reached a hand up, as if to tug the braid apart. 

“No, no. I like it. You look quite dashing.”

Karna blinked at her. His hand fell by his side and he smiled shyly. “Really?”

“Yes.” He looked absolutely handsome, the braid and flowers only adding to his otherworldly charm. Draupadi ached with the need to reach out and touch him. She swallowed the desire and turned away, telling herself that that had _not_ been a flash of disappointment in Karna’s eyes. “Come on. The king and queen will be releasing the first lantern soon.”

Karna followed her. His eyes lit up when he saw the boat and lanterns at the dock. He climbed on board first, barely managing to balance in the small boat. With a flourish, he held out his hand for her to take. She would have taken the hand elegantly had Ashwa not chosen that moment to shove her into Karna, sending them sprawling into the boat. 

“Oof.” Karna grunted. 

Draupadi lifted off of Karna, very aware of their positions, and scrambled to the other side. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you? Stupid horse, I’m going to kill it.” She glared at Ashwa for good measure, but the creature looked unfazed. 

Karna chuckled. “It’s fine. I’m okay. What about you?”

“I’m all right,” she assured Karna. and freed their boat from the dock. 

Karna insisted on helping her paddle, looking at her with an innocent look, saying, “When am I going to get the chance to do it again?” Draupadi didn’t have the heart to deny him after that, so she showed him how to hold the oars and how to move his wrists. 

He took to it like a natural, and Draupadi had to only sit back and watch him paddle. And oh, what a sight it was. For once, Draupadi let herself look her fill, knowing she would never get another chance. She stored away every glance, every smile, every flex of his muscles as he paddled. Later, she would put a lock on all of it, bury it under cement and tar. But for now, she drank it all in. Karna, for his part, didn’t say anything.

Once they reached the middle of the river, Draupadi reached behind her and pulled out the two lanterns. “Happy birthday,” she said quietly, afraid that her voice would break whatever spell they were caught up in. 

They were just on time. By the time she had lit the lamps, the king and queen had released the first lantern. Hundreds more floated into the sky, 

Karna took one from her, their fingers brushing lightly, and released his at the same time she released hers. They watched the two lanterns rise up until they were lost amongst all the other ones and she didn’t know which ones were theirs. When she looked back down, Karna was staring at her intensely. 

Draupadi ought to say something, but her mind was blank, too occupied with noticing how close Karna was and how she would only have to lean forward a few centimeters to --

“I have something for you, too,” Karna said, reaching behind him and pulling out the Lost Prince’s crown. He placed it in Draupadi’s lap gingerly. His face was a mosaic of contradictions, she knew how much effort it must have taken him to give this to her. 

Draupadi looked between Karna and the crown. It was a non-decision really. but it was well worth the look of surprise on Karna’s face when she moved the crown off to the side. 

Her heart was thudding loudly, threatening to rip out of her chest. She reached out and cupped Karna’s chin, caressing his stubbled jaw. Karna swallowed audibly, his Adam’s apple bobbing anxiously. It was that, more than anything else, that assured her he wanted this too, so without another moment’s hesitation, she leaned forward, capturing his lips in a soft, mostly chaste kiss. Karna moaned softly beneath her, clutching at Draupadi’s arm desperately. Draupadi slid her around around his neck and deepened the kiss. Karna tasted like apples and something she suspected was purely him. 

Their boat wobbled dangerously, making Draupadi pull back. Karna protested, reaching for her once more. 

“We -- we should dock,” she told him, mentally wincing at how unsteady she sounded. 

“Yeah. Okay, yes. That -- that sounds good.” He took hold of the oars and paddled them to shore. 

Together, they pulled the boat onto the sand. She was just about to tie the rope to one of the trees when she saw them: two unmistakable silhouettes of her partners in crime. 

They beckoned her and she looked back at Karna. “I have to do something,” she told him, picking up the crown from the boat. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Karna let her go, nodding confidently, never once asking what she was doing. The simple act of trust made her chest swell with something unnameable and she knew that no matter what happened, she would come back for him. 

Jayadratha and Shishupal had twin looks of greed on their faces. Even in the dim moonlight she could see them leering at her. Disgusted, Draupadi threw the crown at them. Shishupal caught it easily and tossed it onto the ground between them.

Jayadratha smirked at her. “Oh, I don’t think so, Panchali. You see, you’ve been holding out on us. That pretty little boy of yours. Well, the Lost Prince is worth much more than his crown, isn’t he?” 

Fear unlike any she had ever felt before gripped Draupadi tightly. “I don’t know what you mean, but you have your crown. Now leave me alone.”

“No.” 

They were on her before she could pull out her dagger. The last thing she remembered was Shishupal’s smug face, and then everything went black.

*****

She came to in a cell. It was a place she was sadly very familiar with. This time she was in a cell across from her old one. At least this one had a nice view of the --

Draupadi bolted upright. She remembered Shishupal and Jayadratha, their threats against Karna. Karna. 

Her hands chafed against the shackles they had put on her. 

Barely a minute later, a troop of guards trudged to her cell. She knew all of them by name. They were the same ones who had brought her in again and again over the last five years. Their faces said it all. This time there would be no measly sentence. She had stolen the prince’s crown. She had committed the highest treason possible short of killing a member of the royal family.

The opened the door, forming an impenetrable human wall around her as they marched her to her execution. 

A few cells down, she saw Jayadratha and Shishupal locked up together. Draupadi charged at their cell. “What have you done with Karna?” she demanded angrily, shoving off the guards who tried to get her away. 

Shishupal and Jayadratha shrank against the far wall. 

“We didn’t do nothing to you boyfriend,” Shishupal spat. “It was his uncle that sold him out to us. Bastard decked us over the head just as we were getting the boy.”

Draupadi let the guards pull her back into the fold. They were telling the truth, she knew, they had no reason to lie. Horror set in quickly. His uncle. Karna’s _uncle_. Of fucking course, but who else? It all made a sick sense. 

Draupadi darted a calculating glance around, even though she knew there was no escape. She couldn’t help but hope for one last miracle. 

It came in the form of peacock feather on a windowsill. 

The shackles melted off her wrists, and Draupadi took the opportunity to deck the guards closest to her. The element of surprised enabled her to overpower three of them, before she made a run for it. Her miracle worker would take care of the rest. She just had to get outside the palace gates. 

As if some outside force were guiding her, Draupadi charged through the hallways. She came out through one of the hidden exits and stumbled into Ashwa. 

She had never been more glad to see him. “Ashwa, you beautiful, beautiful horse.” Ashwa neighed impatiently. Draupadi mounted quickly, taking hold of his reins. “Come on, buddy. To the tower.”

Ashwa neighed again, pointing his nose at the pouch tied to the saddled. Inside was her trusted dagger. Draupadi definitely owed her miracle worker a big one. Without further ado, Ashwa sped off, dodging guards and civilians alike with expert ease. They were hurtling through the forest in no time. Draupadi ducked low to avoid branches. 

She all but fell off of Ashwa when he stopped at the foot of the tower. Draupadi began her long ascent up the tower. It would be easier if she had the rope she and Karna had used when they were leaving yesterday, but she didn’t want to announce her presence to Karna’s uncle. 

Peeking inside, Draupadi saw Karna tied in a corner, a cloth around his mouth, one eye bruised an ugly purple. Her heart skipped when she saw him, hurt but very much alive. It was more than she had expected or hoped for. Draupadi crawled inside, ignoring Karna’s desperate sounds and warning looks, she kept a watchful eye out for Karna’s uncle. Not, as it turned out, watchful enough, because the stooped old man came at her from the shadows, brandishing a knife. He was strong, despite his withered looks. She wasn’t quick enough to block the stab at her side. Draupadi stumbled, falling to the floor as blood spurted out of her rapidly. The old man grinned down triumphantly at her and limped toward Karna.

“N -- no.” Draupadi tried to get closer to him. Tried not to cry, as he was dragged away. 

He must have gotten the gag off because he was saying something, but she was too weak, too busy staving off the pain to hear him clearly. 

She did manage to catch a desperate “Let me save her. Please, just let me -- and then I’ll come with you. Wherever you want. For as long as you want, I’ll never leave, but let me. Uncle Shakuni, let me save her.” And then sounds of Karna rushing to her. 

There he was, leaning over her, eyes filled with unshed tears. He was so beautiful, her Karna. Draupadi reached up and tucked a stray strand behind his ear. 

“K -- Ka --” No, she was losing blood too quickly, couldn’t speak. Couldn’t say “I --”

“Shhh,” he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “It’s okay. It’ll all be okay.” He pulled her close, until their chests were almost touching, and she knew what she had to do.

Draupadi didn’t know what madness possessed her, but she reached for her dagger just as Karna began his chant and the familiar golden sun spread across his chest. It would be the last time, she promised and raised her dagger, stabbing the center of the sun, knowing somehow that it wouldn’t hurt Karna. 

It couldn’t. 

The sun shield stopped growing, it shrunk back on itself like a withering flower, darkening as it did so, until it was nothing more than a small sun-shaped mark on Karna’s skin. 

Karna looked down at his chest, horrified. Somewhere behind them, Shakuni let out a blood curdling scream. “What have you done?” 

Draupadi could only smile. “All. Better,” she managed to say. 

“Draupadi, no. Don’t -- don’t you dare --” Karna started his chant up again, saying it over and over again, but it made no difference, and that was fine. It was all better now, just like he said it would be. 

She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. 

And then, she felt his hot tears on her chest. Much too hot to be regular tears. The heat seeped into her skin, burning her from the inside, the good kind of burn. She felt the wound close up, just like her hand had yesterday. With every breath, her life returned to her. 

“Karna,” she whispered against his shoulder, felt him freeze up. “You’re crushing me.”

The kiss, when it came, tasted better than sunlight.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I did just name the horse Ashwa. Also, yeah the shield stabbing is a stretch but just go with it, please.


End file.
